Abstract

The aim of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to identify the effectiveness of hypnosis therapy in the treatment of patients suffering from temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). From a pool of 3,000 TMD patients seen from January 2012 to January 2016, 34 TMD patients (29 females and 5 males) that fit the inclusion criteria were ultimately included in this study. Eligible patients were required to possess a designated TMD diagnosis, to be at least 16 years of age and to attend all three follow-up appointments after receiving hypnosis therapy from a trained medical practitioner. For all of the subjects, four data points were collected and mathematically evaluated for significance: subjective pain at initial visit, subjective pain at final visit, quantitative pain at initial exam, quantitative pain at final follow-up exam. The collected data was statistically analyzed via paired t-tests to determine if the overall pain reduction, seen in this group of 34 subjects treated with hypnosis therapy, was significant based on age, sex, and initial pain scores. Following statistical analysis, the data suggests that hypnosis therapy significantly reduces the quantitative pain score of TMD patients who are male, who are between the ages of 20 and 40 and who initially present with moderate to severe quantitative pain scores. These findings confirm that, in some situations, hypnosis is an effective treatment modality for TMD patients. However, more research is required on this topic to formulate more accurate, valid and robust conclusions.

Keywords: Orofacial Pain; Dental Methods; Pain Threshold/Physiology; Range of Motion; Articular/Physiology; Relaxation Therapy

References

1. National institutes of health technology assessment conference statement: Management of temporomandibular disorders, April 29-May 1 1996. 1997”. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Oral Radiology1 (1997): 177-183.
2. Simon EP and Lewis DM. “Medical hypnosis for temporomandibular disorders: Treatment efficacy and medical utilization outcome”. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Oral Radiology1 (2000): 54-63.
3. Abrahamsen R., et al. “Effect of hypnosis on oral function and psychological factors in temporomandibular disorders patients”. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation8 (2009): 556-570.
4. Carlsson GE. “Epidemiology and treatment need for temporomandibular disorders”. The Journal of Oral and Facial Pain4 (1999): 232-237.
5. Rollman GB and Gillespie JM. “The role of psychosocial factors in temporomandibular disorders”. Current Review of Pain1 (2000): 71-81.
6. Huang G., et al. “Risk Factors for Diagnostic Subgroups of Painful Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)”. Journal of Dental Research4 (2002): 284-288.
7. Gesch D., et al. “Association of malocclusion and functional occlusion with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in adults: a systematic review of population-based studies”. Quintessence International 35 (2004): 211-221.
8. Svensson P., et al. “Relationships between craniofacial pain and bruxism”. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation7 (2008): 524-547.
9. Winocur E., et al. “Hypnorelaxation as treatment for myofascial pain disorder: A comparative study”. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Oral Radiology4 (2002): 429-434.
10. Ferrando M., et al. “Enhancing the efficacy of treatment for temporomandibular patients with muscular diagnosis through cognitive-behavioral intervention, including hypnosis: a randomized study”. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Oral Radiology 113.1 (2012): 81-89.
11. Zhang Y., et al. “Hypnosis/Relaxation Therapy for Temporomandibular Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials”. The Journal of Oral and Facial Pain and Headache2 (2015): 115-125.
12. Orlando B., et al. “Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Biobehavioral Therapy in the Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders: A Literature Review”. Journal of Behavioral Medicine3 (2007): 101-118.
13. Angelone P. “The use of hypnotic suggestion to reduce pain associated with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) [dissertation]. [New York (NY)]: New York University (2008).
14. Dillworth T and Jensen MP. “The Role of Suggestions in Hypnosis for Chronic Pain: A Review of the Literature”. The Open Pain Journal1 (2010): 39-51.
15. Nash MR and Tasso A. “The Effectiveness of Hypnosis in Reducing Pain and Suffering Among Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer and Among Women With Temporomandibular Disorder”. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis4 (2010): 497-504.